Open AccessBrown Adipose Tissue Harbors a Distinct Sub-Population of Regulatory T Cells
Author(s) -
Daša Medříková,
Tjeerd Sijmonsma,
Katharina Sowodniok,
David M. Richards,
Michael Delacher,
Carsten Sticht,
Norbert Gretz,
Tobias Schafmeier,
Markus Feuerer,
Stephan Herzig
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0118534
Subject(s) - biology , brown adipose tissue , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , adipose tissue , immunology , homeostasis , population , regulation of gene expression , gene , genetics , medicine , endocrinology , environmental health
Regulatory T (T reg ) cells are critical determinants of both immune responses and metabolic control. Here we show that systemic ablation of T reg cells compromised the adaptation of whole-body energy expenditure to cold exposure, correlating with impairment in thermogenic marker gene expression and massive invasion of pro-inflammatory macrophages in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Indeed, BAT harbored a unique sub-set of T reg cells characterized by a unique gene signature. As these T reg cells respond to BAT activation upon cold exposure, this study defines a BAT-specific T reg sub-set with direct implications for the regulation of energy homeostasis in response to environmental stress.